[Correlations between clinical course and investigation results of central conduction time of somatosensory potentials evoked from tibial nerves in patients with cervical myelopathy treated by surgery].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of study was to determine if abnormal somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs), specifically central conduction time (CCT) correlated with the degree of cervical myelopathy surgically treated or with clinical improvement following surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients (women, n=12 and men, n=18) with cervical myelopathy with neurological signs of cervical pyramidal tracts lesion and gait difficulties treated in 7-th Navy Hospital were studied. In our group in MR investigation we observed 26% discopathy, 56% cervical spondylosis and 43% cervical discopathy and spondylosis. Patients were treated surgically in cervical region. SSEP from tibial nerves data especially N22 to P40 interlatency (CCT) and basic everyday motional ability (by Dudek and Michno) were collected pre-operatively and 6-month after surgical treatment.

RESULTS: Preoperatively, 43% (n=13) patients had normal values of CCT No patients had worsened CCT value after surgery. Six months after surgical treatment we observed abnormal in 13% (n=4) and normal values of CCT in 86% (n=26). In the second group we observed summary 60% (n=18) decrease of basic everyday motional ability.

CONCLUSION: In 56% patients with cervical myelopathy abnormal SEP's from tibial nerve's abnormal CCT we observed. There is significant reduction of abnormalities SEP's from tibial nerve's after surgery. Abnormal SSEPs before the surgery correlates with the severity of myelopathy and improvement in SSEPs following surgery correlates strongly with clinical improvement.